Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence is a joint parliamentary committee that enables detailed legislative scrutiny of the Ministry of Defence outside the limited time available in the Houses. It examines defence expenditure, legislation, performance reports and long-term policy, thereby supporting parliamentary accountability over the defence establishment.

Mandate and composition

The Committee has 31 members, comprising 21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, nominated for a term not exceeding one year. A minister cannot be its member.

• Its jurisdiction covers the Ministry of Defence and the departments and organisations under that ministry.

Core scrutiny functions

Under the parliamentary rules governing Department-related Standing Committees, it performs four principal forms of scrutiny.

• It examines the Ministry's Demands for Grants after the general discussion on the Union Budget and presents reports to Parliament.
• It examines defence-related Bills referred to it by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
• It considers the Ministry's annual reports, enabling assessment of policies, programmes and administrative performance.
• It examines national basic long-term policy documents concerning defence when they are presented to Parliament and referred to the Committee.

Methods and limits of oversight

The Committee may obtain documents, hear ministry officials and experts, and present findings and recommendations through reports. Ministries respond through action taken statements or reports, but committee recommendations are advisory rather than legally binding.

• It does not examine matters of the Ministry's day-to-day administration.
• Its examination of Demands for Grants cannot recommend anything in the nature of a cut motion.
• Committee scrutiny allows sustained, cross-party examination while preserving the final authority of Parliament over grants and legislation.